


Arborescent

by sterileflcwer



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24447304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sterileflcwer/pseuds/sterileflcwer
Summary: Then, Dick closed his eyes and simply listened for a moment. Just listened to the quiet cooing of another bird in the trees and the sound of his parents talking to one another at some far off, distant edge of the property. His mind seemed to float. Like when he had gone to the lake with his parents when he was a child and he had simply allowed himself to float on the water. It had been hard to find that equilibrium at first, but now it felt so easy. He didn’t need to try and make his arms flatter to distribute the weight or stick his belly up. Now, Dick felt like a leaf that was simply being carried by the wind that would do so until something stopped him.
Relationships: n/a
Kudos: 1





	Arborescent

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Tumblr @sterileflcwer. I hope that this fic brings peace to people during this crazy time. Credit for this idea goes to @theonetryingtolive on Tumblr.

_“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver_

It was a cool, crisp March morning. Soon, it would be spring and the farm would be bustling with new life. Richard Winters, freshly sixteen and excited for all the world was holding for him, was up early in the morning to complete some chores before he went off to school. After letting the birds out of the brooder house, Dick noticed a quick flash of something in the trees at the edge of the property. He attempted to hold back his curiosity for a moment, knowing he needed to do a few more chores before school. While bottle feeding a calf that had lost its mother, he once more noticed a flash in the trees. Once he was sure that he could take a moment to investigate, he walked to the arboreal border. 

Cautiously approaching the brood of oaks, Dick placed a hand on the strong trunk of one of the trees. Looking up into the branches, he noticed a bright flash of red in the mosaic of greens and browns amongst a velvet blue sky. Casting a glance over his shoulder to assure that no one was watching him, he waited for a moment. After being sure that no one would see him, he extended his arm to grab at one of the branches.

Slowly, he began to climb the tree branches. He was sure that there was a cardinal or a red bellied woodpecker nesting in the tree, sights that had been rather rare as of late. Perhaps due to his own red hair, Dick had always had a love for these birds that stood out so starkly amongst the muted greens and browns of nature. He paused for a moment, one arm extended far above his head, to check to see what bird it could be. Since breeding season for woodpeckers was approaching, he was sure that could be a viable possibility. His cat-like neck craned to get a better look at whatever it could be.

Without realizing, Dick had extended himself much too far to get a look. His arms gave up on him, causing him to lose the careful balance he had been keeping. Quickly, he fell from the branches, landing on the cold ground that felt ice cold. The frosted-over grass felt like blades against his skin, even with his shirt covering all but his forearms.

An involuntary hiss mixed with a groan escaped his mouth, his pain forcing him to stay still for some moments. His eyes, clouded over by pain, were forced to look at the sky. A sky the color of the velvet in a ring box was split by inky black branches slowly turning to a deep brown like the color of his calf’s coat. One of his freckled and lanky hands grasped at the earth, almost as if he was attempting to reassure himself that there was more than his his torso and legs against the earth. The feeling of grass against his palm almost gave him a jolt, as though the grass caused a spark as it touched his palm. Flexing his fingers, dew drops from the grass gathering on his pale flesh, he continued to stare at the sky.

In an odd way, this stillness was calming. All he could do was breathe in the wintry air and wait until he felt well enough to move. He wondered if this was how General Sedgwick had felt before he lost consciousness, simply lying in the grass and waiting for some sort of answer from the universe. Waiting for the end of the moment and the beginning of something new. His frosty eyes stayed focused on a certain point of the seemingly sedentary sky, laughing at the cruel irony of the still unidentified red bird as it flew across that point, twittering out a song in mockery.

Then, Dick closed his eyes and simply listened for a moment. Just listened to the quiet cooing of another bird in the trees and the sound of his parents talking to one another at some far off, distant edge of the property. His mind seemed to float. Like when he had gone to the lake with his parents when he was a child and he had simply allowed himself to float on the water. It had been hard to find that equilibrium at first, but now it felt so easy. He didn’t need to try and make his arms flatter to distribute the weight or stick his belly up. Now, Dick felt like a leaf that was simply being carried by the wind that would do so until something stopped him.

What could have been minutes, or seconds, or hours later, he heard someone call his name, asking where he had gone and if he had hauled the water in yet. Slowly, Dick began to pull himself up, stretching his sore muscles out and shaking his head a bit to wake himself up. He then looked around dazedly to see where the voice was coming from. With his cloudy state, it seemed as though he was being pulled out of a trance that had gone on for far too long. Logically, he had only been laying in the grass for a few moments at least. But time had seemingly slowed for him as the cool morning sunlight bathed his already spotted face.

Soon enough, he had pulled himself to his feet. His palm massaged his sore neck as he started to search for his yoke and the water buckets. As usual, they were by the back door that led into the kitchen. Putting the yoke over his shoulders, he almost drudged to the water pump at the opposite edge of their modest property. Still, as he begrudgingly pulled his feet along, it seemed as though their farm spanned for all of Pennsylvania, possibly farther.

When 7:30 rolled around and he needed to march himself and little sister Ann to school, Dick still felt as though his head was filled with cotton. The kind that seemingly crunched whenever you rolled it about in your fingers. Still, he needed to at least take young Ann to school and assure that she arrived safely.

Throughout the day, Dick seemed to float through all of his activities. His friends and teachers took notice of his uncharacteristic fogginess. Rather soon into his football practice, he was sent home by his coach. 

Once Dick got home, he almost immediately went to the back end of his property, setting his bag down before lying down in the grass. Once more, his eyes were cast up into the branches of the oak tree. As the sun started to move to the west, a fiery light was cast on the young man. Already, cicadas were starting to play their song and Dick could hear other night creatures start to awaken to the forthcoming world of velveteen night. 


End file.
